LAWTON – In his New Year address, Mayor Stan Booker indicated a measure of concern about the growth of residential construction in Elgin, Cache, and Geronimo.
“Currently 80% of all new homes in Comanche County are built outside the Lawton city limits,” Booker said. “This trend is partially driven by municipal development costs which have inadvertently pushed growth away.”
To address this issue, “We are initiating a comprehensive review” of all municipal development requirements, he said. “This process will be guided by a committee of elected officials with significant input from developers to ensure balanced and forward- thinking solutions.”
Over the past two years Lawton’s building permits division has cut its processing time to 30 days, Booker said. In 2025 “we aim to lower it to two weeks for residential permits, aligning with best practices in our peer cities,” such as Norman.
The City Council responded on Jan. 14 by passing a revision to the city ’s “Open for Business” policy which mandates that residential building permits and sign permits must be issued within 14 calendar days “upon receipt of all required documentation.” The update goes into effect on April 1, “allowing adequate preparation time for implementation.”